Leipheimer, who is leaving Team RadioShack at the end of 2011, spoke with Bicycling in California in conjunction with bike manufacture Specialized's announcement this week that it will sponsor the Belgian outfit with bicycles and helmets in a new deal.

Quick-Step, a team well known for its success in the classics, or one-day races, has added key riders to boost its firepower in stage races. New world time-trial champion and 2011 Paris-Nice winner Tony Martin of Germany, for example, will join Leipheimer as co-captain in one- and three-week races such as Paris-Nice, the Dauphiné Libéré, the Tour of California, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and the Tour de France.

In this exclusive video, Leipheimer spoke with Bicycling about how the move to Quick-Step unfolded, his opinion of the RadioShack-Leopard merger, his goals for 2012, and his return to racing on Specialized bikes.